Flat Stanley great connection in Purple Heart honor

By CAROLYN ALFORD

Published: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 12:07 PM.

Hello friends and neighbors. It is good to see you here.

On Tuesday evening, I attended a posthumous award ceremony for Onslow Sheriff’s Deputy Jerry Barber who died
Nov. 6, 1976
in the line of duty. Jerry was struck by a car while assisting a fellow law enforcement officer. Jerry’s widow Debbie Barber Tully and daughter Michele Barber Franko attended the event. It was so moving when Michele, who was only 2-years-old when her dad died, accepted the plaque with her dad’s photo that has hung on the wall at the Sheriff’s Dept. since his death. After accepting the plaque, Michele, a school teacher and great storyteller, made reference to a story about the plaque and Flat Stanley, a character from the Flat Stanley children books series by Jeff Brown, who wanted to travel but his parents could not afford to send him. In the book, a bulletin board above his bed flattens
Stanley
so his parents decided to fold him up and mail him to places he wanted to visit. A few years ago, teachers used Flat Stanley as a letter writing lesson.

I called Michele at her home near
Asheboro
on Wednesday for the rest of the story. In 2002, Michele’s fourth grade class at
Southmont
Elementary School
in
Asheboro
sent out Flat Stanleys around the world. One of her students, Scotty, sent his Flat Stanley to his aunt in Swansboro. About two months later, the Flat Stanleys began to return home by mail from their travels. About the morning of Sept. 12, Michele said she arrived at school to find a manila envelope addressed to Michele Franko from the Onslow Sheriff’s Department. She figured it was probably a jury duty notification from her years growing up in Sneads Ferry but wondered how they had found her. When she opened the envelope, Michele found a black three-pronged folder that read, “Flat Stanley visited the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office.” On the next page began the tour of the Sheriff’s Office in the lobby with a photo of Sheriff Ed Brown standing with Flat Stanley beside her dad’s plaque. The page read, “this deputy on my right was killed in the line of duty and that makes me sad.” It made Michele sad too.

“I was speechless,” she said. “It made me cry.”

That morning when Scotty arrived at school, Michele asked him if he remembered the story she had told him about her dad. She showed him the photo and said, “That’s my dad.” Scotty was floored, Michele said, he couldn’t believe it.

“It was an amazing thing,” Michele said. “His aunt used to be a major at the Sheriff’s office but had no idea that her nephew’s teacher was this deputy’s only child.”

Michele brought the Flat Stanley folder with her to
Jacksonville
for the award ceremony. At a dinner at
Logan
’s before the ceremony, she showed Flat Stanley in his deputy jumpsuit to Sheriff Brown, public relations officer Walter Scott, and Colonel Boyd Brown. Michele had no idea that in an hour, she would be presented her father’s same plaque during the ceremony. It meant so much to her.

On Tuesday evening, I attended a posthumous award ceremony for Onslow Sheriff’s Deputy Jerry Barber who died Nov. 6, 1976 in the line of duty. Jerry was struck by a car while assisting a fellow law enforcement officer. Jerry’s widow Debbie Barber Tully and daughter Michele Barber Franko attended the event. It was so moving when Michele, who was only 2-years-old when her dad died, accepted the plaque with her dad’s photo that has hung on the wall at the Sheriff’s Dept. since his death. After accepting the plaque, Michele, a school teacher and great storyteller, made reference to a story about the plaque and Flat Stanley, a character from the Flat Stanley children books series by Jeff Brown, who wanted to travel but his parents could not afford to send him. In the book, a bulletin board above his bed flattens Stanley so his parents decided to fold him up and mail him to places he wanted to visit. A few years ago, teachers used Flat Stanley as a letter writing lesson.

I called Michele at her home near Asheboro on Wednesday for the rest of the story. In 2002, Michele’s fourth grade class at SouthmontElementary School in Asheboro sent out Flat Stanleys around the world. One of her students, Scotty, sent his Flat Stanley to his aunt in Swansboro. About two months later, the Flat Stanleys began to return home by mail from their travels. About the morning of Sept. 12, Michele said she arrived at school to find a manila envelope addressed to Michele Franko from the Onslow Sheriff’s Department. She figured it was probably a jury duty notification from her years growing up in Sneads Ferry but wondered how they had found her. When she opened the envelope, Michele found a black three-pronged folder that read, “Flat Stanley visited the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office.” On the next page began the tour of the Sheriff’s Office in the lobby with a photo of Sheriff Ed Brown standing with Flat Stanley beside her dad’s plaque. The page read, “this deputy on my right was killed in the line of duty and that makes me sad.” It made Michele sad too.

“I was speechless,” she said. “It made me cry.”

That morning when Scotty arrived at school, Michele asked him if he remembered the story she had told him about her dad. She showed him the photo and said, “That’s my dad.” Scotty was floored, Michele said, he couldn’t believe it.

“It was an amazing thing,” Michele said. “His aunt used to be a major at the Sheriff’s office but had no idea that her nephew’s teacher was this deputy’s only child.”

Michele brought the Flat Stanley folder with her to Jacksonville for the award ceremony. At a dinner at Logan’s before the ceremony, she showed Flat Stanley in his deputy jumpsuit to Sheriff Brown, public relations officer Walter Scott, and Colonel Boyd Brown. Michele had no idea that in an hour, she would be presented her father’s same plaque during the ceremony. It meant so much to her.

“It is a small world that it could find me four hours away,” Michele said.

The rest of the family

Michele is the granddaughter of Pete and Jackie Walker and Bill and Irene Barber, all deceased and all of Jacksonville. The Walkers and the Barbers attended my church, BlueCreekBaptistChurch. I spoke with Michele’s aunts Judy Barber and Shelby McGalliard, who told me the family history in OnslowCounty.

William Augusta “Bill” Barber and Pearl Irene Sutphin Barber came to CampLejeune in the late ’40s for Bill to work as a captain at the fire department on base. The family had two children, Shelby Jean and Larry Dean, and lived in base housing at MidwayPark. The homes had two bedrooms.

It was not long after that Pearl gave birth to twins, Phillip Morris and Phyllis Doris. In less than a year, Pearl gave birth to twins Jerry Van and Judy Ann. About 11 months later, Pearl gave birth to Nick Alan. The family of four was now a family of nine, Shelby said. Shelby, who was about 12 at the time, remembers that her dad was innovative. He got metal bunk beds from the base and put sides on the top and bottom to make crib like beds for the five babies.

Bill Barber began to look for a larger home and in a couple of years found a farm off NC Highway 53 in Southwest. He needed $500 to purchase the farm. Shelby’s fiancé Wade had just sold a car and put $500 away for the wedding. Wade McGalliard loaned the money to Shelby’s family on a handshake. Bill Barber repaid the money $25 and $50 at a time as he sold tobacco. Shelby and Wade were married when Shelby was 16. It was a long and successful marriage until Wade’s death last year.

Judy Barber remembers that Blue Creek Baptist started as a satellite from the FirstBaptistChurch in Jacksonville. The first church was in the one room schoolhouse off 53 just before the crossroads that is now a church. Judy remembers going with her mother as a child to Graytown to deliver milk in gallon jars. The family is now scattered with only Jerry’s widow still living in OnslowCounty. Shelby lives in Pikeville, Dean is deceased, Phillip lives in Cleveland, Tenn.; Phyllis in Florida; Judy in Goldsboro and Nick in Wallace.

Senior moments

Jacksonville and Richlands Rotary clubs hosted Senior Day last Sunday at the Farmer’s Market at the SeniorCenter on N.C. 258. Sam Bright of Sam’s Used Furniture cooked chicken for the picnic under the shelter; Gunilla Kroshus of American Dream Cakes provided cake, all served to about 416 people by Rotarians. There were door prizes and recognitions. Esther Shepard was recognized as the oldest woman at 106 years; Henry Moss the oldest man at 92; and Louie and Edna Foy were recognized for being married 66 years. There was a DJ. The seniors danced line dances, the polka, the waltz and other dances. There may be snow on the roof but there’s still a furnace on the inside.

Sara King recognized the seniors. Sara will be retiring from the SeniorCenter on May 31 after 27 years. I have never known a senior center without Sara. Since the center started in downtown Jacksonville, Sara has always been there caring for the seniors, doing the food program and van ministry, the Senior Spotlight, the programs and activities. It was Sara that invited me to teach the writing classes that were so successful. Some of the writers went on to write books and articles that were published nationwide. Please go by and see Sara before she leaves. Thanks for everything Sara. Have a happy retirement and enjoy those grandchildren. The grandchildren have already planned to stay at her house this summer, Sara said.

Pinfish tournament

I promised to put the pinfish tournament June 2 and 3 at Sneads Ferry in my column this week. I lost the contact number. Call me at the Daily News if you have information.

Complaints and praise appreciated

The Daily News invites you all to a forum at 8 and 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce on Gum Branch Road. The Daily News staff is working on improving your local paper and need your input and opinions. Please call 910- 219-8409 or localdesk@jdnews.com to sign up. Light refreshments. I sure would appreciate it if you would come.